MONMOUTH – While the Monmouth Mustangs took awhile to settle into their offense, the Lisbon Greyhounds never did.

The Mustangs used an 18-3 run in the second half to pull away for a 51-32 boys’ basketball win Saturday night.

Brandon Goff led all scorers with 19 points, including 10 during the decisive run. The run began after Lisbon point guard Mason Smith found Mason Healy open for an easy bucket underneath early in the third quarter to cut the Monmouth lead to 25-20.

Moments later, Goff scored on a layup and followed that up by sinking the front end of a pair of technical free throws. Later in the quarter, reserve guard Devin West turned a steal into a conventional 3-point play to give the Mustangs (1-0) a 31-23 advantage after three quarters.

Things went downhill quickly in the fourth for Lisbon as Smith picked up his fourth personal and was slapped with his fifth on a technical at the same time with 7:03 left in the game. To the bench went Smith with his team-high nine points while his teammates’ focus went south.

Within a minute the Mustangs scored three hoops on driving layups with Drew McFarren scoring the first and Goff converting the other two and the home team led 41-23.

“We were uncharacteristically undisciplined,” said Lisbon coach Eric Hall. “(Smith fouling out) took the sails out of what we were trying to do.”

Not until a turnaround jumper in the lane by Nick Collins midway into the fourth did the Greyhounds settle back into the game, but by then it was too late. Collins bucket cut the lead to 43-25 and the game soon turned into an empty-the-bench session.

Monmouth spent much of the opening quarter firing up shots from all angles which frustrated coach Lucas Turner.

“I think it was nerves,” said Turner. “We took some shots outside our offense. We had to settle them down at halftime.”

Goff and McFarren (nine points) both hit three field goals in the second quarter as the Mustangs began to execute their offense. Turner constantly reminded his team in the second quarter to be patient and work the offense.

“Once we started to slow down our offense, instead of taking the first shot off a screen, we started to knock down shots,” said Goff.

The Greyhounds (0-1) had their best offensive quarter in the second with Smith scoring six points and Brad Groh adding five.

“We didn’t have much offense in the first half, but we hung tough,” said Hall. “But then we came out flat in the second half.”

The Greyhounds saw both McFarren and Goff go to the bench in the third after picking up their third fouls, but they failed to take advantage. When Goff re-entered a few minutes later, the Mustangs began to click which led to the frustration and lack of discipline for the Greyhounds.

“They were overly aggressive,” said Goff, “so we drove to the basket on them. They couldn’t get over quick enough and started fouling.”

dst.hilaire@sunjournal.com

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